Admiral Farragut Academy
| type = College Prep, Private School, Military Academy (Honor Naval School) | affiliation = | affiliations = | president = | headmaster = Robert J. Fine, Jr. | faculty = approx. 100 | students = approx. 450 | grades = PreK3 – 12 | address = 501 Park St. N. | accreditation = see below | mascot = BlueJacket | colors = Blue and Yellow | magazine = Reveille | website = | footnotes = | picture = }} Admiral Farragut Academy, established in 1933, is a private, college prep school serving students in grades PreK3-12 for Preschool, Elementary School, Middle School, and High School. Farragut is located in St. Petersburg, Florida in Pinellas County and is surrounded by the communities of Treasure Island, Gulfport, Pasadena, Tierra Verde, and Seminole. Farragut also serves North Pinellas County, which includes the communities of Clearwater, Belleair, and Palm Harbor. History Founded in 1933 on the banks of the Toms River in Pine Beach, New Jersey, Admiral Farragut Academy was, a college prep, military style school named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the first Naval officer to rise to that rank. Over Farragut's first 12 years, the school became so popular that a second campus was purchased in 1945 on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida (the only campus open today). Since, the school has gone through many changes from accepting day students and girls to adding an elementary school. The school's New Jersey campus in Pine Beach closed at the end of the 1994 school year due to financial difficulties.Campbell, Douglas A. "Growing Deficit Finally Sinks Military Prep School In N.j. Admiral Farragut Academy Will Close In June. Cadets And Parents Are Crushed.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 8, 1994. Accessed July 9, 2015. "Symbolically, only one of the heavy wood catboats, resting last week on the shore by Admiral Farragut Academy's dock, was ready to be launched on the cedar-stained waters of the Toms River, where the military prep school's cadets have, since 1933, learned to sail.... Farragut's students, 120 boys and 20 girls in Grades 5-12, who wear naval- style uniforms and salute their superiors, were told at 7:30 a.m. Monday that on June 4, their school would close forever." Famous alumni The Academy is perhaps most notable for graduating two of the 12 men who walked on the Moon: * Rear Admiral Alan Shepard, USN, was the first American in space and in 1971 became the fifth person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission. Shepard graduated in 1941 from the New Jersey campus. * Brigadier General Charles Duke, USAF, was a 1953 graduate of the St. Petersburg campus, and in 1972 became the tenth person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 16 mission. In the spring of 2006, NASA presented a moon rock to General Duke, who then donated it to the school. It is displayed in a showcase in front of the Quarter-Deck at the entrance to the main building, Farragut Hall. * William Colepaugh, who defected to the Nazis in World War II, and who, later, was one of the last Nazi spies reaching the US. * Richard Marcinko, author and former commanding officer of US Navy SEAL Team 2, is a graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy. Marcinko went on to become the first commanding officer of US Navy SEAL Team Six, a special maritime counter-terror unit. * Actor Lorenzo Lamas graduated in 1975 from the New Jersey Campus. * Actor Casper Robert Van Dien graduated from the St. Petersburg, FL campus and later performed in many films of which Starship Troopers is the most notable. * Singer and Actor Eduardo Andonie graduated in 2010 from St. Petersburg Campus. He was signed in 2011 with top Latin record label Orfanato Music Group. * Chef Spike Mendelsohn, class of 2000, contested on both Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars. Spike is the owner of "Good Stuff Eatery," a restaurant with locations on Capitol Hill and in Georgetown in The District of Columbia, as well as in the Crystal City business neighborhood of Northern Virginia. * Animator/Producer Andy Luckey attended from 1980-'81 at St. Petersburg but transferred before graduation. * Lieutenant General Sidney "Tom" Weinstein, ‘52N, was the Army deputy chief of staff for intelligence during the 1980s. He is recognized as the principal architect of the modern military intelligence corps, and was the crucial player in its expansion and professionalization. * Richard W. Fisher '67N, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas since 2005 * Musician/Songwriter Stephen Stills, Being from a military family, Stills attended for a time. * Internet personality Merlin Mann attended at St. Petersburg, where he was a member of Diplomacy Club * Philanthropist and business leader (F Chris Nelson), attended Pine Beach Campus form 1977-1978. The NJROTC Program An integral part of an education at Admiral Farragut Academy is the required involvement in NJROTC. Every student in the Upper School (grades 8-12) takes three years of Naval Science, an in-depth study of the history, operation and core concepts of the United States Navy. The entire Upper School student body makes up a student-run NJROTC Regiment. Accreditation Admiral Farragut Academy is accredited by: Florida Council of Independent Schools]** (FCIS) Assures that each school maintains high standards and independence of character without political, financial, or bureaucratic pressures. Florida Kindergarten Council** (FKC) Validates and supports exemplary early childhood schools. Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) Provides leadership, accreditation services, and professional development resources. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools** (SACS) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Values and works to maintain the independent nature of each member school by promoting high standards of educational quality and ethical behavior. The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) This organization of nearly 300 boarding schools serves the professional development needs of boarding schools and provides information to potential students and their families. Small Boarding Schools Association (SBSA) Promotes personal and professional dialogue among small boarding school educators and educational consultants. Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS) Tampa Bay Independent Secondary Schools (TSS) Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Promotes, directs supervises, and regulates interscholastic athletic programs in which high school students, whose schools are members, compete. Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) Meet quality standards, receive peer evaluation, and implement a school plan focused on strategic improvement. St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Long and distinguished history of promoting economic development, as well as broad community goals, which are important to the quality of life of those who live in and visit the beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida, area. Student body There are approximately 250 students in the upper division, with a 3:1 ratio of boys to girls. Approximately 50% of the students are boarders. References External links * Admiral Farragut Academy * A Farragut North alumnus' page of photos Admiral Farragut Academy alumni Category:Preparatory schools in Florida Category:Military high schools in the United States Category:Educational institutions established in 1933 Category:Educational institutions established in 1945 Category:High schools in Pinellas County, Florida Category:Private high schools in Florida Category:Private middle schools in Florida Category:Private elementary schools in Florida Category:1945 establishments in Florida Category:1933 establishments in New Jersey